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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27464311">Snitches Get Stitches</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/eviestevie/pseuds/eviestevie'>eviestevie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, I’m proud but I’m also fucking up my sleep schedule, Wow I’m really dishing out fics here aren’t I?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:07:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,317</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27464311</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/eviestevie/pseuds/eviestevie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Emerald is desperate, she just wants Cinder’s approval, just for once.</p><p>What she doesn’t realise is what, or rather who, she risks by trying to get that.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mercury Black/Emerald Sustrai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Snitches Get Stitches</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Warning!!! There’s a bit of blood and some swearing so be cautious if you’re sensitive to that </p><p>This is a lovely fic idea from a conversation I had with @to-fangirl-or-not-to-fangirl on tumblr 🥰</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After arriving in the continent of Solitas, Salem and her faction chose to play the waiting game. They knew that Atlas’ defences could only hold out for so long.</p><p>It was just a matter of time.</p><p>Waiting meant boredom. So Emerald chose to wander through the chambers of their “fortress”, if it could even be called that. It was living, breathing... thinking.</p><p>Wandering through the halls of a titanic Grimm whale was... entertaining? It passed the time at least and gave Emerald a moment to think about anything and everything she wanted to.</p><p>Cinder was here. After months of silence, of assuming she was gone after what happened at Haven, she was here.</p><p>And she brought a friend; Neo. Or as Salem referred to her as — an asset.</p><p>“You seem to love collecting assets, don’t you?”</p><p>Collecting.</p><p>Did that make Emerald one?</p><p>No... no, of course not! Emerald has much more value than “an asset”. She helped Cinder throughout the years, helping to achieve her goals, and in return Cinder gave her a place to belong.</p><p>She did belong here... didn’t she?</p><p>As Emerald pondered this thought, she stepped into the large throne room known as Salem’s chamber.</p><p>Only to find that Salem wasn’t there.</p><p>Cinder was.</p><p>She stood in the centre of the room, looking at the throne. Emerald could clearly see by her face and body language that she was angry.</p><p>“Cinder?”</p><p>...</p><p>“... Cinder? Are you okay?”</p><p>Some mumbling.</p><p>“What?” Emerald stepped closer so she could listen.</p><p>“It’s like she’s putting me on probation. ME.” Cinder spat furiously.</p><p>“Who?”</p><p>“SALEM! Who do you think?” Cinder turned quickly to face Emerald, startling her and making her step back in caution.</p><p>“Getting the Maiden powers is MY duty. MINE. And what does she do? She tells that scorpion freak to retrieve the robot girl instead.”</p><p>Emerald stood nervously, afraid to be so near to Cinder in case she would explode into a flaming rage.</p><p>“... Well, it could be worse.” Emerald spoke gently, carefully balancing on the tightrope that was Cinder’s emotions. “At least Salem has let you back in without punishment for being gone so long. I was afraid she was going to hurt you.”</p><p>Emerald edges forward, attempting to reform the bond, the partnership they once had. Cinder stared straight through Emerald, her lone eye glowing with rage, searing the thief’s skin. Flames of resentment threatening to engulf her.</p><p>“Look... I know it’s hard—“</p><p>“YOU don’t know a damn thing!” Cinder roared, her eye now igniting in flames. “You’re just a foolish little girl, incapable of thinking for herself! So dependent and needy, it’s suffocating!”</p><p>Emerald stepped back in shock. A pain swelled in her chest at Cinder’s words.</p><p>“You... you don’t mean that.” Emerald tried to reason.</p><p>Lies. Even to her own ears, they were lies.</p><p>“I think I fucking do!” Cinder retorted. “You! YOU have been NOTHING... nothing but a-a fucking BURDEN to me! Ever since we met! Ever since you came to me, you’ve done nothing but get in my way! You probably don’t even care do you?”</p><p>“That’s not true!” Emerald yelled back, tears welling up in her eyes and threatening to spill. “I— I’ve done EVERYTHING for you! I was there for you, always! I believed in you the whole time you were gone!”</p><p>She was desperate. Desperate just to prove something to her. Anything to show that she’s more than what Cinder says she is. Emerald spoke without thinking.</p><p>“Mercury’s the one who’s been doubting you! Not me!”</p><p>She didn’t realise what she just did.</p><p>Cinder went silent. The flame in her eye died down until it disappeared, her face was unreadable as she processed Emerald’s words.</p><p>Her expression changes.</p><p>She smiled. Devilishly.</p><p>“Oh... Is that right?” Cinder smirked, a new confidence in her posture as she sauntered towards Emerald.</p><p>“W-what?” Emerald went tense as Cinder got closer. “I-I mean yes! Um, yeah! We had a fight and... well he said some bad things about you.”</p><p>“Really?” Cinder reached out her human arm.</p><p>Emerald flinched away, but then relaxed as Cinder simply brushed her hair out of her face, cupping her chin to force her to look up at her.</p><p>“What did he say?” She asked calmly.</p><p>“Well, um.” Emerald looked away, unable to face Cinder’s intimidating aura. “He said that you didn’t care. T-that you weren’t coming back.”</p><p>“... I see.” Cinder released Emerald from her grip, humming in thought. “Thank you for this information.”</p><p>Cinder walked past Emerald and left the throne room.</p><p>Emerald stood frozen in confusion.</p><p>She didn’t realise what she just did.</p><p>//////////////////////////////////////////////////</p><p>Later, Emerald sat at the stairs of Salem’s throne, still puzzled by Cinder’s actions moments beforehand. Had she cooled off? Was she going to talk to Mercury? Will she come back?</p><p>Will she apologise for what she said earlier?</p><p>“Hey! What the hell are you—“</p><p>BANG!</p><p>Mercury came flying into the throne room. Sprawling across the floor and groaning in pain.</p><p>“Mercury?” Emerald stood up, alerted by his sudden entrance.</p><p>“What the hell did you say?” Mercury yelled at her, desperately clambering to his feet and taking a defensive stance.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>Before Emerald’s question could be answered, a blaze of fire shot into the room, causing both of them to jump back.</p><p>From the flames, appeared Cinder.</p><p>“I don’t tolerate disloyalty, boy.” Cinder growled. “Didn’t think I’d come back, huh? What? Like you think I’m too WEAK? TOO AFRAID PERHAPS?”</p><p>“No! I just thought—“</p><p>“Oh! Oh, you just “thought”? Well never mind then! I suppose I can just forget that you DOUBTED YOUR LEADER!” Another fireball was sent out, almost hitting Mercury. Luckily, he used his boots to propel himself backwards to safety.</p><p>“Cinder, stop!” Emerald shouted, terrified of what she was witnessing. “He didn’t mean it! Please, don’t hurt him!”</p><p>“Oh don’t give me that, girl!” Cinder stood tall, ready to cast more flames prepared in her hand. “Just moments ago you were ratting him out! Don’t change your mind now just because you’re scared of a little heat!”</p><p>Fire shot forward at Emerald, she quickly leapt away, now standing at the same distance as Mercury. However, they still stood apart.</p><p>“Em, what did you say?” Mercury questioned desperately.</p><p>“I told her about our fight, after Haven!”</p><p>“And she’s trying to kill me?”</p><p>“She thinks you’re underestimating her!”</p><p>“And that will be your downfall!” Cinder shrieked, her rage now spiralling out of control.</p><p>Mercury kept as far away as he could from Cinder’s fury, dodging every blast and only using his boots to get away. </p><p>Meanwhile, Emerald watched in terror.</p><p>“As for you, Emerald.” Cinder suddenly changed focus. “Are you really so desperate for my approval? That you would throw Mercury, probably the only person here that tolerates your whiny existence, straight under the bus? For what? You want praise? Attention? Love?”</p><p>“Cinder, I—“</p><p>“You are, and will always be, nothing but a burden and a nuisance on my life.” </p><p>Once again, an unbearable pain swelled in Emerald’s chest. Tears fell from her face, heavy and uncontrollable.</p><p>“You know... now that Neo is here. I see no use for you.”</p><p>“What? W-wait, no! Please, PLEASE Cinder I—“</p><p>“After all, her semblance is just a better, more advanced version of yours... you know what that makes you?”</p><p>“Cinder...”</p><p>“Disposable.”</p><p>Cinder’s Grimm arm shot out towards Emerald, threatening to slice her throat.</p><p>She couldn’t do anything. It hurt too much. She could only stare as her demise came towards her.</p><p>“NO!”</p><p>In a blink, Mercury stood between Emerald and Cinder, kicking away the Grimm arm just moments before it would’ve tore into Emerald’s flesh.</p><p>“Dont touch her.” He warned.</p><p>“Mercury?” His rescue had snapped Emerald out of her shock, allowing her to realise how dire both of their situations had become.</p><p>“We have to go!” Mercury called.</p><p>“Oh, Mercury.” Cinder drawled, bringing her extended Grimm arm back to its natural size. “Y’know... if you hadn’t just done that, I might’ve actually spared you. Maybe even forgiven you.”</p><p>“No you wouldn’t you crazy bitch.” Mercury growled, this time taking an offensive stance, confronting Cinder.</p><p>“You think you can take me?” Cinder challenged.</p><p>“Looks like I’m gonna have to.”</p><p>“Mercury, we can’t—“</p><p>“We don’t have a choice Em!” Mercury said, turning to look at Emerald.</p><p>“Please! You can’t hurt her!” She begged, clinging to the hope that Cinder wouldn’t do this.</p><p>“She’s not gonna let us go! So we have to—“</p><p>“LOOK OUT!”</p><p>It was too late. Mercury didn’t turn quick enough, facing back towards Cinder only to be met with one of her blades piercing his stomach.</p><p>“NO!” Emerald screamed, watching as Cinder grinned psychotically, pulling the blade from his torso and seeing his body fall to the floor.</p><p>“STOP IT!” She roared, a high pitched whine entering her head as she stared at Cinder in cold blood. Pain flooded Emerald’s mind and her vision blurred. Cinder howled in agony, dropping her blade and clutching at her head, covering her eye as she continued to yell in fear.</p><p>“GET AWAY FROM ME!” She fell to her knees, swiping with one arm to the air in front of her.</p><p>Emerald had used her semblance against Cinder.</p><p>She did it. She took a stand.</p><p>Without hesitation, Emerald quickly knelt to Mercury’s side, examining his wound. It was bad.</p><p>He was right; they had to leave.</p><p>Emerald removed her jacket and wrapped it tightly around Mercury’s torso, reducing the bleeding. Then, she sat him up and hoisted him over her shoulders, quickly standing and immediately leaving the throne room, heading for the hanger.</p><p>She opened the ship then locked it, laying Mercury down on a small bed in the cabin and grabbing the medical kit stored nearby. She didn’t have time to stitch it, so instead she removed her coat and hastily wrapped the wound in bandages. Blood continued to seep out, staining the white gauze and causing Emerald’s heart to sink.</p><p>Wasting no time, she strapped Mercury to the bed to keep him secure then started the ship and flew away. Only hearing Hazel yell and Tyrian fire at the back of the ship for a few seconds. Emerald flew out into the tundra until there wasn’t a single Grimm in sight for miles. She parked the ship in a secluded mountain range, the natural walls keeping them hidden. As soon as she stopped, she got out of her seat and rushed to Mercury’s side, removing the straps attaching him to the bed and opening his jacket to properly assess his injury. Mercury groaned in pain, he was barely conscious.</p><p>“Hey! Hey, Mercury c’mon! Stay with me, okay? You’re fine, you’re gonna be fine, I promise. Just... just please... don’t go. Please, stay with me Mercury. God dammit! PLEASE! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean for this to happen I n-never would’ve said anything if I knew...” Tears spilled from Emerald’s eyes, falling on Mercury’s face as she stitched his wound, all the while she talked to him. “I never meant to hurt you. I swear! Please, Mercury you’re... you’re all I have, please, I can’t lose you now. NOT NOW! I... I didn’t realise... how much you meant to me, a-and I let Cinder...”</p><p>Emerald finished the stitching and dropped her head onto Mercury’s chest, continuing to sob helplessly.</p><p>“Please, don’t go... I love you.”</p><p>//////////////////////////////////////////////////</p><p>Mercury awoke to a dull ache in his abdomen, he sat up and looked around. He was in a ship, in bed specifically, and when he lifted his shirt he was covered in bandages.</p><p>He remembered Cinder, how she lashed out at him unprovoked, yelling about betrayal and disloyalty. He remembered... Emerald and how she almost got hurt. He remembered falling and struggling to stay awake... getting into a ship... pain and... someone talking to him.</p><p>Emerald.</p><p>“Mercury?”</p><p>He turned his head to the entrance of the cabin.</p><p>There she was. Emerald stood in shock, her hands went up to her face, covering her mouth as she teared up.</p><p>“Mercury... I... I am so sorry.” She sobbed.</p><p>“Emerald...”</p><p>“I never should have said anything to her! If I just said nothing this wouldn’t have happened!”</p><p>“Hey...”</p><p>“I never meant to hurt you, I swear! I was just afraid because Cinder—“</p><p>“Em!”</p><p>“W-what?” Emerald sniffled.</p><p>Mercury sighed. “Em, you could never hurt me.”</p><p>“T-that... that’s not true! I did hurt you! It’s because of me that you’re like this!”</p><p>“That was Cinder, not you.”</p><p>“You didn’t have to save me! You... you could’ve died! And it all would’ve been because of me.”</p><p>“No, it would’ve been because of Cinder.”</p><p>“But—“</p><p>“Emerald... it’s you.”</p><p>“W-what do you mean?”</p><p>“You... are the only one who could never hurt me.”</p><p>Emerald’s face flushed red. Where the hell was this coming from? Was it because of the blood loss? Is he delirious?</p><p>“I... I think you should get some rest.” Emerald chose to try and brush off Mercury’s affection, wiping away her tears and stepping forward to lay him down and pull the blanket over him.</p><p>“Stay with me... please.” Mercury grabbed Emerald’s hand, squeezing it lightly. He looked so... uncharacteristically shy when he said that. Emerald couldn’t say no to it.</p><p>“...Okay.”</p><p>She sat down next to the bed, not letting go of his hand.</p><p>Sitting in a ship in the middle of nowhere gave Emerald time to think about anything and everything she wanted to.</p><p>Like how after all this time, all that wasted time chasing after Cinder, her approval, her praise, Emerald didn’t realise that this whole time, she already had someone who could give her all that and expect nothing in return.</p><p>“... You said you loved me.”</p><p>“... No, I didn’t.”</p><p>“Oh, come on—“</p><p>“I didn’t!”</p><p>“You definitely said you loved me!”</p><p>“... I should have let you bleed out.”</p><p>“Nahhh, you wouldn’t.”</p><p>“Merc, c’mon...”</p><p>“You know why?”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“Because you love me.”</p><p>“...”</p><p>“... I love you, Em”</p><p>“... Yeah... I love you too.”</p>
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